The invention relates to a traveling sprinkler having an improved guide wheel assembly which minimizes the chances of the sprinkler leaving operative engagement with a hose defining the path of travel for the sprinkler. Many conventional prior art sprinklers have rear drive wheels attached to the sprinkler body, and a guide wheel disposed near the front of the sprinkler body, the guide wheel engaging a hose laid out along a desired path of travel for the sprinkler. Often times there are problems associated with such prior art sprinklers in that the guide wheel has a tendency to go out of engagement with the hose which defines the path it is supposed to follow. If there is a sharp turn in the hose, the guide wheel has a tendency to slide with respect to the hose, and thus climb over the hose or push the hose into an even tighter turn radius so that it is impossible for the sprinkler to negotiate the turn. Also, some prior art wheels ride relatively high in grass through which they are moving which tends to cause them to move out of engagement with the hose, and have too high a resistance to rotation about a vertical axis so that the tendency to slide instead of turn is even greater.
There have been several proposals in the prior art for the provision of split guide wheels to provide assistance in guiding of a sprinkler along a hose path, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,901,180 and 3,085,751, and there have been proposals for providing a common cleated drive and guide wheel, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,152,425. While such proposals may provide some assistance in maintaining the sprinkler travel in a given path, some of the above-mentioned problems still remain.
According to the present invention, a sprinkler having an improved guide wheel assembly is provided, the guide wheel assembly including a split guide wheel having two wheel halves mounted for rotation about a horizontal shaft and for relative rotation with respect to each other. When the sprinkler having the improved guide wheel assembly according to the present invention enters a curved section of hose, the guide wheel assembly is rotated with respect to the sprinkler about a vertical axis by a force imparted to the inside wheel half. If the torque resisting rotation is great enough, however, the wheel assembly is not rotated about the vertical axis immediately, and all of the weight of the front of the sprinkler is transferred to the inside wheel at the contact point. Since the wheel is split, the inside half rotates in the reverse direction while the outside half rotates in the forward direction, thereby effecting rotation of the wheel assembly about the vertical axis. Also, with the split wheel configuration the torque resisting rotation about the vertical axis is minimized since there are no portions engaging the lawn that tend to develop a resisting torque holding the wheel assembly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sprinkler body.
The improved guide wheel according to the present invention also is radially slotted, slots extending radially from the periphery of the guide wheel toward the center thereof. The provision of the radial slots defines radially extending portions which ride lower in the lawn, and thus it is more difficult for the wheel to climb over the hose than for a solid wheel. Additionally, the slotted wheel has improved traction over a solid wheel, minimizing the tendency for the wheel to slide and push the hose into too tight a radius, and in combination with the fact that it is split again minimizing the chances that it will climb the hose. Also, tip portions are provided on the radial portions of the guide wheel for causing a downward resistance force to be imparted thereto if the guide wheel starts to slide in making a turn guided by the hose. When the wheel is negotiating a turn the engagement with the lawn grass by the upper surface of the axially extending tip portions on the outside wheel half improves the traction of the guide wheel assembly and tends to offset the lifting force imparted to the inside wheel half by the hose.
According to the present invention a traveling sprinkler is provided comprising an elongated sprinkler body having a water distributing apparatus connected thereto, a pair of cleated drive wheels mounted on either side of the sprinkler body for driving the body, and means for guiding the movement of the sprinkler body in a given direction in dependence upon the position of the hose or the like engaged by the guiding means. The guiding means includes a split freely idling guide wheel having two halves mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and for rotation with respect to each other, and means for mounting the guide wheel horizontal axis for rotation with respect to the body about a vertical axis. The guide wheel is radially slotted, to improve the traction thereof, and to make it ride lower in the lawn grass relative to the hose. The horizontal axis of the guide wheel is defined by a shaft, and the means for mounting the guide wheel horizontal axis for rotation about a vertical axis with respect to the body includes a forked bracket having portions thereof engaging opposed ends of the shaft, and having an upwardly extending shaft portion thereof received by the body for relative rotation with respect thereto. Preferably, the guide wheel halves are cast of aluminum.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved guide wheel assembly with a traveling sprinkler. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.